ask the nutritionist: holiday coffee drinks

Starbucks always lets us know that the holidays have officially arrived with their holiday cups and FaLa Lattes. But in addition to Christmas spirit and holiday cheer, these delicious drinks bring extra sugar, whipped cream and far more calories than your morning coffee should have. But instead of being the Nutrition Grinch and telling you to skip them all together, I’ve got some suggestions to lighten them up.

Save them for special occasions – they should definitely not be a weekly drink

Order with skim milk instead of 2% or whole – this can save 50-80 calories

Skip the whipped cream – this can save 70 calories, and isn’t it already sweet enough?

I don’t order them all too often, mostly because I try to make coffee at home or at the office since Starbucks gets pretty pricey after a while! Although, when I do go out for coffee I try to order just a flavored brew- unless it’s dessert you really don’t need all the crazy sugar!

sometimes i think the coffee shop specialty drinks signal the seasonal change for me more than the weather does!

after working at a coffee shop, i discovered that half shots of syrup are the way to go. i want my coffee to taste like coffee not sugary water! at caribou the small and medium drinks have the same amount of espresso shots. so the smalls have the same amount of caffination with less calories from milk.

i am thankful that i am not a sugar loving coffee fiend. i’m just a coffee fiend, therefore i prefer a regular pike with a bit of lite cream. i do admit to indulging in these little treats now and then and your tips are just perfect!

Great tips! I follow all of them when it comes to the special holiday drinks. However, I have been ordering my skinny vanilla grande latte more than once a week. Not only do I need to cut down on this for the calories but the cost is pretty high too!

I definitely second the no whip and skim milk rule of thumb. I save those drinks for a weekend treat or when I have a free coupon from Starbucks. I seriously don’t know how people order those EVERY day, that would kill me!!

MMMM I’m a sucker for coffee. I try and make my own holiday drinks by adding a little cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, or peppermint extract (just a teeny tiny bit) to my coffee at home. This way I can still taste the holidays, but they won’t make me not fit into my jeans come January!

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Hi, I’m Emily

I spend my days working to ensure that low-income families have enough nutritious food and my nights doing the same, but for my family. I love playing in the kitchen, creating simple, fresh and nutritious meals. My husband and I live in LA (via Wisconsin) and are new-ish parents to one-year-old baby girl, Demi! Read More…